Other News Releases Related to Case 17-POD-154

Witness Assistance

The province’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating after a 57-year-old man drove his vehicle into Lake Erie yesterday.

Preliminary information suggests the following:

At approximately 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 23, 2017, an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer with the Elgin County detachment noticed a vehicle being operated on Springfield Road, in the area of Nova Scotia Line.

The officer began following the vehicle.

A short time later, the vehicle drove off of a cliff and into Lake Erie.

As of Saturday afternoon, the OPP was still conducting a recovery operation.

Three investigators and one forensic investigator have been assigned to this incident.

The SIU is urging anyone who may have information about this investigation to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529 ext. 1935. The Unit is also urging anyone who may have any video evidence related to this incident to upload that video through the SIU website.

The SIU is an arm’s length agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault. Under the Police Services Act, the Director of the SIU must

consider whether an officer has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation

depending on the evidence, lay a criminal charge against the officer if appropriate or close the file without any charges being laid